Skift Video: The Misperceptions in Making It As a Travel Startup

Amadeus + Skift

- Sep 15, 2016 4:15 pm

Skift Take

Too many travel startups fall into the replication trap of mimicking successful brands instead of forging their own way. In this first installment of Demystifying Travel Tech, Amadeus shines a light on the various pathways for startups to break in to the travel ecosystem.

Although there are so many people who love travel, there is a lot about travel that is not easy to understand. The technology and infrastructure that powers the travel industry can be seen as complex, even by some of the smartest leaders in travel. But unless you’re directly immersed in the technological operations of a travel brand, chances are you haven’t really delved into the technology behind travel and why it matters.

In this three-part series, experts at Amadeus will “demystify” some of the complex topics in travel tech — examining overlooked opportunities for travel startups to find success, learning about the implications of cloud computing, and how the latest search technology can connect consumers to the right results. These topics have been brought to life in the form of 1-minute animated videos by the SkiftX content studio to help take the complexity out of travel.

It’s hard to miss news about the Airbnbs and Kayaks and Ubers making waves in the media, but the way in which these brands found success — i.e. as large scale, all-encompassing consumer-focused online companies — is most often not the applicable approach to be taken by newer companies.

In our first Demystifying Travel Tech video, SkiftX spoke with Kerri Zeil, Head of the Amadeus for Startups program in North America about common misperceptions in finding success as a travel startup.

According to Zeil, it’s easy for travel entrepreneurs to fall into the replication trap of mimicking successful companies and their journeys instead of forging their own way. Most often, it’s a matter of not being able to see the full picture and possible opportunities within the travel ecosystem.

“There’s not a singular pathway for travel startups to follow. If you think about the ecosystem as a whole, it’s really an ever-growing web of tech services that intermingle with one another, connecting in ways you might not have realized,” said Zeil, whose job is to engage with travel startups, help them navigate the complexities of the industry, and support their technology needs. Amadeus for Startups provides expert guidance from simple technology needs for incubation to the investment of resources needed to get a travel start up running.

Within Amadeus, Zeil guides startups in a number of directions depending on a company’s idea, technology and team. Some brands may be fully ready to launch to the public while others enter into the Amadeus for Startups program for technology guidance and access to investment and incubation resources. While startups are defining or refining their business strategy, a company may be tapped to partner with an established brand or create a pathway for their own sustainable model and scale on their own.

See a breakdown of the Amadeus’ Internal Touch Points for Startups below and go to Amadeus for Startups to learn more.